Wheel chock



C. B. DAVIS WHEEL CHOCK May 20, 1969 Sheet Filed Aug. 21, 1967 m S N.W E

v 0 m0 B I m C ATTORNEYS C. B. DAVIS WHEEL CHOCK May 20, 1969 SheetFiled Aug. 21, 1967 FIG. 6

INVENTOR. BY Carl B. Davis fix ATTORMIYS United States Patent 3,444,963WHEEL CHOCK Carl B. Davis, 2333 S. Raleigh St., Denver, Colo. 80219Filed Aug. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 661,998 Int. Cl. B60t 3/00 US. Cl. 18832 4Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wheel chock formed as a wedge-shapedunit with triangular sides, an upright heel plate and a web plateforming the inclined surface whereon a wheel will press when chocked.The web plate is adapted to accommodate wheels of diverse size by atrough-like recess of varying curvature from the toe to the top of theheel portion. Each chock includes a handhole grip at the narrowed toeend of the web plate to permit a pair of chocks to be held together inopposition with the two handholes in registration for convenient portageby the pair.

The underside of each chock, at the underside of the heel plate, isprovided with a transversely disposed, sharpcornered bar adapted to biteinto the ground, pavement or ice to secure the chock against slipping.This bar is formed as a square-sectioned rod which is mounted within atrough-like socket at the underside of the heel plate and is removablysecured within this socket by an arrangement of machine screws whichpermit the bar to be rotated from one position to another toadvantageously use all four edges of the bar for surface gripping.

Each end of the heel plate is extended beyond the adjacent triangularside of the chock as a comparatively heavy abutment which is adapted towithstand the blow of a sledge hammer or the like which may be necessaryto remove the chock when it is tightly clamped under a wheel, and asimple pry action by inserting a bar into cored holes in the heel plate.

Summary of the invention This invention relates to wheel chocks toimmobilize wheeled equipment against displacement from positions ofrest, and has as a principal object to provide a novel and improvedwheel chock uniquely adapted to realize its functions in coaction withthe wheels of aircraft.

The demonstrated inadequacies of casually available rocks, blocks,chunks, billets and the like, to reliably immobilize and dependablyretain a wheel thereby, have naturally stimulated provision of chockssuited for particular use and association. In the case of aircraft,trucks and towvehicles, a necessarily frequent use of chocks occurs torestrain different sized wheels of the vehicles which are transientlydocked upon hard, plane, ice or other relatively smooth surfaces.customarily employed in pairs, either at the forward side of aircraftwheels or in spaced opposition and paired engagement under forward andrearward arcs of a wheel at rest, as through individual manipulation byan attendant, wheel chocks should be conveniently portable, readilymaneuverable into position and promptly releasable from the usepositions. They should also be strong, rigid, light of weight,effectively coactable with differing wheel diameters and treads, andsecure against slippage in reaction to pressures variously imposed uponthem by and through an associated wheel. The time factor, significant tomanagement of groundbased aircraft, and the nature and magnitude offorces unpredictably prevailing to shift the same in and from theirassigned rest positions, emphasize and enhance the practical importanceof the considerations just noted and distinguish the correspondinglycorrelated improvements of the present invention as uniquelymetritorious in satisfaction thereof.

Directed to the uses, purposes, and advantages above discussed, thewheel chock of the instant invention is a strong, rigid, compact unit oflight weight. It is organized for convenient portage in pairs, forexpeditious application to and removal from intended coaction with aconsiderable size range of aircraft wheels, and for secure,self-retained emplacement in use position. Finally, the construction isfacile and economical of production, durable in use, and conditioned forsuccessive, simple service adjustments available to promote, and toprolong, the security of immobilization inherent in the operativecombination of features as applied to intended use.

In realization and for attainment of the objects and advantageshereinabove set forth and implied, the invention resides in theconstruction, arrangement and operative combination of elements andfeatures as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims,and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic, side elevational View of a typicalwheel truck portion of a conventional aircraft as immobilized in normalground support through customary coaction with a pair of the wheel chockunits of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a single wheelchock depicting a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the unit according to FIG. 2, showingparticularly the heel end thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, on a relatively enlarged scale, of awheel chock pair, such as represented in FIG. 1, in an arrangement tofacilitate manual gripping for portage.

FIGURE 5 is an auxiliary view, looking towards the toe end and theunderside of the unit, as from the indicated arrow 5 at FIG. 3, but onan enlarged scale.

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view on the same scale as FIG. 5,taken longitudinally through and substantially on the indicated line6--6 of FIG. 2.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary, detailed section, on a further enlargedscale, taken substantially on the indicated line 7-7 at FIG. 5.

As illustrated in a preferred embodiment, the improved wheel chock is agenerally wedge-shaped, rigid unit designated C conformed and adapted toengage between the lower arc of a wheel at rest, such as either or bothof the wheels W of an aircraft landing gear truck T. The size of eachchock is sufiicient to provide adequate wheel support surface for securetemporary immobilization of the wheel or wheels against inadvertentdisplacement in a direction opposed by the chock, as typified by theshowing of FIGURE 1. Such general organization and use of the chock C isconventional, as according with long established practice, and thenovelty and inventive merit of the improvement is evidenced by theadvantageous structural particularity, as will be hereinafter described.

Formed from any suitable strong, rigid, light-weight material, such asaluminum, in any expedient manner, as by casting, the chock unit C is aunitary structure. It includes a pair of like, complementary,longitudinally oriented, triangular sidewall plates 10. These plates 10are rigidly interyoked in spaced, longitudinal parallelism and lateralslight upward convergence by a transverse heel plate 11 closing betweenthe corresponding short leg margins of the plates 10 and by a web plate12 spanning between the next longer leg margins of the plates 10. Theproximate lateral margins of the heel plate 11 and the web plate 12 jointo constitute a ridge 13, the top of the chock when lying upon theground in an operative position. The opposing hypotenuse margins of theplates and the opposing coplanar margins of the heel plate 11 and webplate 12 constitute ground-contact elements bounding the open side ofthe interiorly hollow unit C so comprised.

Facilitating intended and effective coaction of the web 12 with thetread arc of a wheel W, which will generally vary with the diameter ofthe wheel, the exposed face of said web is laterally moderately concavedto establish a shallow trough longitudinally thereof. The depth of thistrough is determined by the radius of its lateral concavity, smoothlyvarying from a maximum depth, and a minimum radius r at the toe end ofthe unit C, to a relatively lesser depth and maximum radius r at theheel end ridge 13 of the unit, as indicated at FIG. 5. This variationconditions the so-troughed web for enhanced compatible engagement withwheels of differing sizes and tread profiles, and to evidence the endtracings of the trough, the curved ridge 13 marks the intersection ofthe trough of web 12 with the heel plate 11 and a curve 14, indicated atFIG. 1, marks the toe end of the unit C.

Featuring the improvement in accordance with the concept of theinvention, a handgrip opening is formed in and through the web 12inwardly adjacent the trough-terminating toe curve 14 in such marginalcontour and elongation laterally of the web as will accommodatereception of a human hand applied to lift the unit with its heel plate11 lowermost. The provision of the solocated handgrip opening issusceptible of registration with a like feature of a second unit C, whenthe units are placed in a base-confronting paired position. This permitsa convenient, single-hand portage of a pair of units C, as representedby FIGURE 4.

The outline of the opening 15 is traced interiorly of the unit C by aflange 16 integrally outstanding from the undersurface of the web 12 toregistration in and with the base plane of the unit common to themargins of the plates 10 and 11 remote from the web, and an integral rib17 connects said flange 16 and the heel plate 11 longitudinally of andin attachment to the web 12 to register at its free margin with the baseplane of the unit above identified; the said flange 1 6 and rib 17reinforcing and strengthening the unit assembly in an obvious mannerthat contributes to the utility, dependability and durability of theunit.

The heel plate 11 is progressively thickened to a relatively massivemargin remote from the ridge 13 connecting with the web 12, as clearlyappears in FIGURE 6, and said plate is apertured, as at 18, on each sideof its conjunction with the rib 17 for conservation of material andreduction of unit weight with concomitant provision for attachment of alanyard 19, indicated at FIG. 1, which may be entered and looped throughthe apertures and under the rib 17 as a facility available for removingthe unit from its use position against a wheel. Retraction of a chock Cfrom its use position by means of its lanyard 19 may usually beaccomplished without difficulty, but it does occur that influencesacting upon a chocked wheel so wedge the chock as to require majorforce, such as the impacts of a sledge, to effect release. Inrecognition of this problem, and in accommodation thereof, the outerlower corners of the heel plate 11 are extended beyond conjunction withthe plates 10 to outstand laterally from the unit as solid, integralabutments 20 suited to receive the percussive force of a sledge hammerwhen it is needed to dislodge the wedged chock.

Qualifying the improvement for reliable, secure and nonslippingretention on the wheel-support surface to which applied in coaction witha wheel, a feature of the invention is the arming of the lower margin ofthe heel plate 11 with a removable, replaceable, reversible andangularly adjustable bar 21 of strong, hard, wear-resistant material,such as steel, tungsten-carbide, or the functional equivalent,ingeniously organized and operatively mounted to bite into and against asupport surface in reaction to pressures of a wheel pressing against theweb 12 of the chock C. The bar 21 is a straight, square-sectioned lengthhaving comparatively sharp corners and a maximum diagonal dimension notexceeding the width of the lower, free margin of the heel plate 11. Thelength of the bar is slightly less than the clear spacing between innersurfaces of the plates 10 at the base plane of the unit. It is receivedand seats in a V-shaped channel 22 longitudinally in the free lowermargin of the heel plate 11 in an arrangement suited to nest onetransverse half of the said bar and to expose the other half of the barwith the edge being in projection beyond the base plane of the chock C.Thus, one of the sharp corners of the bar directed perpendicularly awayfrom said plane of the underside of the chock unit C is adapted to bearagainst and grip a surface whereon the chock sets.

As so seated, the bar 21 is detachably and adjusably secured to the heelplate by a pair of like cap screws 23 entered through oppositelycountersunk holes 24 formed in spaced parallelism diagonally through thebar to register with internally threaded continuations 25 traversing theheel plate 12 from intersection with the apex of the channel 22 tointersection with the apertures 18. The screws 23, turned into thecontinuations 25, provide for effective clamping of the bar 21 withinthe channel 22 with either of the bar corners interrupted by the holes24 exposed to ground engagement, the holes 24 including opposingcountersunk portions 26 to receive the heads of the screws 23. Thecontinuations 25 are extended to open at the apertures 18 forconvenience and economy of unit production and to preclude accumulationtherein of foreign matter that might impair free and full desiredcoaction of the screws and continuations.

The holes 24 and the continuations 25, wherewith they are adapted toregister, are located out of symmetry with the length of the bar 21 andthe lateral span of the heel plate 11, whereby to provide that a secondpair of holes 24, may be formed diagonally through the .bar 21perpendicular to the direction of the holes 24 in a correlation with thelength of the bar the reverse of that established by the location of theholes 24 and hence without serious impairment of bar strength, thus toprovide that length inversion and quadrantal rotation of the freed barmay effect registration of the holes 24' with the continuations 25 andattachment by means of the screws 23 for exposure to service of either,and eventually both, of the bar corners interrupted by the holes 24'.Hence, through simple manipulations of the bar 21 and screws 23 any, andsuccessively all, of the bar corners may be availed of for intended useirrespective of wear or damage individually affecting the same and theuseful life of the unit is consequently prolonged.

I have now described my invention in detail, yet it is to be noted thatordinary variations and modifications in the form, construction andarrangement of the elements and features shown and described may be hadwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a 'wheel chock formed generally as a unitary structure ofcompounds including triangular side plates, a heel plate and awheel-contacting web, wherein the side plates are arranged inapproximate spaced parallelism, the heel plate extends transverselybetween and interconnects with the shorter leg margins of the triangularside plates, and the web closes between corresponding next larger legmargins of the triangular plates and the proximate margin of the heelplate, whereby to establish a hollow, wedgeshaped unit open at a baseplane defined by the coplanar free margins of the heel plate, thetriangular plates and the web, the improvement comprising:

a means for enhancing the retentive grip of the base plane upon asupport surface in reaction to applied forces on the Web plate tendingto displace the unit, which increases a sharp-cornered, transverselysquare length of hard, wear-resistant material detachably corner-seatedin and along the free lower margin of the heel plate in consequentprojection of an opposite corner outwardly therefrom.

2. In the chock defined in claim 1, wherein the lower free margin of theheel plate is formed with a V-shaped channel suited to receive and seatone diagonal half of said length with consequent exposure and projectionof an opposite sharp corner, and including holes on the diagonals ofsaid length to accommodate cap screws threadedly engageable within theheel plate to clamp said length to its seat thereon; said holes on thediagonals of the length being so correlated with the positions of capscrew and heel plate coaction as to permit angular adjustment and lengthinversion of the length relative to its seat for selective exposure ofeach and all of the length corners to association and conditions of use.

3. In the wheel chock defined in claim 1, wherein a substantial portionof said heel plate projects laterally from each side of each side plateto form an abutment alongside the grip retentive means in the lowermargin of the heel plate suited for the reception of wedging and impactforces to facilitate retraction of the unit when resisting forces areapplied on the web plate.

4. In a wheel chock formed generally as a unitary structure ofcomponents including triangular side plates, a heel plate and awheel-contacting web, wherein the side plates are arranged inapproximate spaced parallelism, the heel plate extends transverselybetween and interconnects with the shorter leg margins of the triangularside plates,

and the web closes between corresponding next longer leg margins of thetriangular plates and the proximate margin of the heel plate, whereby toestablish a hollow, wedgeshaped unit open at a base plane defined by thecoplanar free margins of the heel plate, the triangular plates and theweb, the improvment comprising:

a means for enhancing the retentive grip of the base plate upon asupport surface and reaction to applied forces on the web plate tendingto displace the unit, which includes a sharp cornered length of hard,wear-resistant material along the free lower margin of the heel plate,and

a projection of said heel plate extending laterally from each side ofeach side plate to form transversely disposed abutments in approximatealignment with the aforesaid sharp cornered gripper length.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,786,774 12/1930 Parsons 188-321,849,964 3/1932 Snyder 18832 2,521,539 9/1950 Richardson 188322,848,070 8/1958 Wilson 188-32 2,862,579 12/1958 Jicha et a1. 18832MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. W. BUCKMAN, Assistant Examiner.

"increases" should read includes UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATEOF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,444,963

May 20, 1969 Carl B. Davis It is certified that error appears in theabove identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 59, "compound" should read components line 74,

Column 6, line 6, "improvment" should read improvement Signed and sealedthis 21st day of April 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Edward M. Fletcher, I r.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

